Decoy



' L. J. BOUTIN DECOY Dec. 3l, 1940.

Filed April 28, '1938 E fzgfzf Q5 CLJ, 11 #HHM 5 plu. el4 f .2 .w, m

ATTaKNEYs Patented Dec. 31, 1940 PATENT oFFlcsf` Decoy Leo J. Boutin,Minneapolis, Minn. lamination april 2s, 193s, serial No, 204,752

3 taime` (c1. i3- 3) This invention relates to new and usefulimprovements in decoys, such as are made in the form of ducks, geese,and other waterfowl, and are used by hunters and Sportsmen forattracting wild game birds, and an object oi the invention is to providea decoy which will have a greater attraction to wildvducks, geese., andother fowl, than similardevices now commonly used.

A further object of the present invention is to' provide a decoy havinga duck call embodied therein and provided with means wherebyv the duckcall may be operated from a blind or other 'station located remote fromthe decoy.

A further object is to provide a decoy comprising a body `portion havingan "expansion chamber therein, and a duck call communicating with saidchamber, and lan elongated, flexible element having one endcommunicating with said chamber and provided at its opposite end withmeans for operating the duck call, and

whereby the latter may be operated from a sta-l tion located` remotefrom the decoy.

A further object is to provide a decoy compris- 4ing a body portionprovided with suitable wing elements and a duck call, and having. meanswhereby said wing elements and duck call may be operated from a pointremote from the decoy. Other objects of the invention reside in thenovel arrangement of the duck call in the body of the decoy; in theprovision of the expansion chamber into which the air is delivered underpressure, and whereby the sound emanating from the duck call will bemore natural than is possible to produce with an ordinary duck call; in

the provision of a decoy having wing elements and a pneumatic duck callwhich may be operated simultaneously by a single operating device;

in the provision of means whereby the wing ele-` ments and pneumaticcall maybe operated independently oi one another; and, in the simple andinexpensive construction of the duck call and the means for operatingit, and whereby these parts may readily be embodied in the constructionof conventional decoys.

Other objects of the invention will appear fro1n the followingdescription and accompanying drawing and `will be pointed `out in theannexed claims.

In the accompanying drawing there has been disclosed a structuredesigned to carry out the various objects ofthe invention, but it is tobe understood that the invention is not confined to the exact featuresshown as various changes may be made within the scope of the claimswhich follow. l

n tional shape and design, made, of a suitable buoyis therefore thoughtunnecessary to further def sion chamber 1 which communicates with the Inthe drawing:

Figure l is a longitudinal sectional viewshowing the invention embodiedin a decoy;`

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view on the line p 24-2 of Figure l,showing the arrangement of the 51 wing elements and the means foroperating them;

Figure 3 is a view illustrating the means for operating the duck callfrom a blind or station located remote from the decoy; and

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view showing a'1'0' construction whereinthe duck call is locatedin the neck or head portion of the decoy.

The novel decoy herein disclosed is shown comprising a body portion 2 ofmore vor less conven- 15 ant material such, for example, as cork,whereby it will readily float' upon the surface of the water. The lbody2 is shown provided at onev end with the usual head` 3 and has `a tail4A at itsfoppositeend` shown provided with a bore 5 adapted to receive apneumatic duck call, gen-l erally indicatedby the numeral 6. This duckcall comprises the usual reed, not shown, and is of more or lessstandard construction,V and it 25h scribethe same in detail. It isoperated by passing or forcing air'through it in the direction indicatedby the arrow in Figure 1.

The body 2 is shown provided with an expan- 30 bore 5. The lower wall 8of the chamber 1 is inthe form of a suitable plate which is detachablysecured tothe lower surface 9 of the body 2 by suitable means, suchasscrews II, `A suit-r 35V; able gasket I2 is interposed between the plate8 and the surface 9 to provide a leak-tightjoint therebetween. Asuitable nipple I3 is provided in the plate 8 and is secured therein 'bysuitable means, such as a nut I4.

The means for operating the duck call E is shown comprising a rubberball or member I5 provided with a suitable check valve I6, and havingone end of a rubber hose l1 connected thereto, the opposite end of whichmay be connected 45: to the nippieIS, .as shown in Figure 3. When theballl is compressed, air is forced into the eX- pansion chamber 1 andthrough the bore 5 and duck call (i,` whereby the latter is operated, as

will readily be understood. By the provision of 50gable length andprovides means whereby the decoy may be operated from a blind located aconsiderable distance from the decoy, as shown in Figure 3.

5 To render the decoy more life-like in appearance, and to make it moreattractive to wild birds, it may be provided with suitable wing elementsI8 pivoted at I9 to the body 2. Suitable recesses 2| may be provided inthe body 2 10 for receiving the wing elements I8, when in their normalpositions, shown in full lines in Figure 2, but this is notnecessary.

'Ihe means provided for operating or napping the wing elements I8, isshown comprising a l5 piston device, generally indicated by the numeral22. This piston device is shown comprising a cylinder 23 having a flange24 at its lower end seated against the plate 8 and having a nipple 25received in an aperture provided in said 20 plate. The lower end of thenipple 25 may be threaded to receive a nut 2B for securing the 'cylinderin the position shown in Figure 2.

A piston 21 is mounted for reciprocal movement within the cylinder 23and has a` rod 28 guidinglysupported in a cap 23, secured to the upperend of the cylinder. v'Ihe piston rod 28 isshown provided at its upperend with a suitable cross arm 3l, having upright end portions 32slidably received in guide openings provided in the upper portion of thebody of the decoy. 'I'.he terminals of the end portions 32 are adaptedto engage the wing elements I8 and move them upwardly to the dotted linepositions, shown in Figure 2.r i

35..; One end of thehose l1` may be connected to `the Anipple 25lof thecylinder 23, as shown in Figurel, whereby when the ball I5 iscompressed,

air under pressure will be introduced into the lower end of the cylinder23, whereby the piston 40,15 21 is moved lupwardly in the cylinder, withthe result that the upper terminals of the end .por-

` tions 32 of the cross arm 3| 4will engage the wing elements I8 andmove them upwardly to the dotted line positions shown inFigure 2. Aflap- 45j ping actionmay readily be imparted to the wing elements bysuccessively squeezing the rubber b all I 5 .in rapid succession.Asuitable vent hole 33 is provided in the cap 29 to permit freecirculation of air into and out of the cylinder 23 50labove the piston,when the latter is operated.r

,In some instances, it `may be desired to operatethe ,wings and duckcall simultaneously..

To permit the wing elements and duck call to be thus operatedsimultaneously, Vsuitable apertures 55; 34 are shown provided in the,wall of the cylinder 23 at an elevation whereby the air delivered intotheycylinder below the piston will escape through said apertures, whenthe winglelements reach substantially the dotted lineA positions shownin 60 i Figure 2. Thus, each time the piston operated to actuate-thewing elements, the air delivered into the cylinder below the piston willdischarge into'the expansion chamber 1 through the apertures 34,'fromwhence it will escape to the at- 65; mosphere through the bore 5 andduck call 6, whereby the latter is actuated, as will readily beunderstood.

By providing'two nipples I3 and 25, as shown in Figure l, the wingelements may be operated -7osimultaneously with the duck call 6, whenthe hose is attached tothe nipple 25, as shown in Figure l. When thehose is attached to the Vnipple I3, the duck call only will be operated,and the wing elements will remain in their normal 75 full line position,shown in Figure 2. When the hose is attached to the nipple I 3, the cap36 which normally closes the nipple I3 is removed from nipple I3 andsecured to nipple 25 to seal the lower end thereof.

In Figure 4 there is shown a construction 5 wherein the duck call 6 islocated in a bore 31 provided in the neck of the decoy. The upper end ofthe duck call communicates with an air passage 38 provided in the lowerportion of the head 3 of the decoy, and through which the air 10discharging through the decoy may escape to the atmosphere.

The novel decoy herein disclosed, is very simy.ple in construction. Byreferring to Figure 1, it

will be noted that the duck call 6 may readily and inexpensively beembodied in the body of the decoy, and if the wing elements are omitted,as may be desirable in some cases, the piston device 22 is alsodispensed with, and only one nipple is provided in the plate 8 forattaching the hose thereto.

From actual experience, I have found that the novel decoy hereindisclosed is more attractive to wild birds than ordinary conventionaldecoys which do not have a duck call embodied directly in the bodythereof. By means of the flexible connection or hose I'I, the hunter orsportsman may station himself in a blind with the decoy placed on thesurface of the water a considerable distance from him. The hose II mayalso serve as an anchor for the decoy to prevent it from drifting. Italso provides means whereby the hunter may readily retrieve the decoywithoutthe use of a boat. be operated at will` by the simplemanipulation of the rubber ball I5.

From actual experience, I have found that by using oneof my improveddecoys, together with other conventional decoys, and occasionally op- 40erating the duck can from a bund, that wild ducks and geese are morereadily attracted than when using only ordinary conventional decoys.

I claim as my invention:

1. A floating duck decoy comprising a buoyant body having therein Van`air actuatedA duck call sounding device, manually operatedmeans forsupplying air to said 4sounding device from a distance remote from theoating decoy. and means controlling the sound tone of said duck callsounding device including an air expansion chamber in the duck bodyinterposed, and providing uid communication, between the air supplyingmeans and the sounding device. 55.

2. A ioating duck decoy comprising a buoyant body having therein an airactuated duole call sounding device, means for operating said soundingdevice from a distance remote from the floating decoy body comprising along air tube having a hand operated air pump at one end, and having itsother end connecting with the buoyant duck body and supplying air tosaid sounding device, and means controlling the soundV tone of said duckcall sounding device including an air expansion chamber in the duck bodyinterposed, and providing fluid communication, between the air tube andthe sounding device and controlling the elective pressure acting on thesounding dovice.

3. A floating duck decoy comprising a buoyant body, movable wingelements on said body, means for operating said wing elements includinga cylinderand piston located in the duck body, an air tube having an airpump at one end, and

The duck call and wings may 35- having 'its other end connecting withthe cylinder, and supplying air pressure to actuate the piston to movesaid Wing elements, an air expansion chamber in the duck body, meansresponsive to movement of the piston for transmitting air pressuresupplied by the air tube to said expansion chamber, and a duck callsounding device in the duck body communicating with and operated by theair pressure in said. expansion chamber.

LEO J. BOUTIN.

